Fresh questions have emerged surrounding the tragic death of former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo following a fatal road accident in Naivasha, after a security guard who witnessed the crash offered an account that sharply contradicts earlier statements by the bus driver involved.
At the centre of the unfolding narrative is Ephraim Cheptek, a security guard who was on duty at a petrol station near the crash scene on the night of the incident.
Speaking to TV47, Cheptek says he was fully alert and personally observed Jirongo’s vehicle moments before the collision.
“At that time, when he was hit, I was the only police officer who was still alert and I witnessed what happened,” Cheptek said.
He described Jirongo’s driving as unusual, noting that the former MP appeared to enter the petrol station as if he intended to refuel.
“When he entered, he moved in slowly… then he suddenly sped up slightly again. The way he entered was not normal.”
According to Cheptek, Jirongo never stopped at the station. Instead, his car drove straight through and exited onto the highway without pausing.
“He did not stop even for a moment,” he stated. “He suddenly accelerated, and at the petrol station exit, he drove straight into the lane of an oncoming bus.”
Cheptek further disputed claims that traffic congestion influenced Jirongo’s actions. “If you looked at the road, it was calm.
For that short period, the road was quiet… only that one vehicle came. It was just him, and him alone,” he narrated, adding that traffic only built up after the crash occurred.
He explained that as Jirongo made a U-turn at the exit, a Climax Coach bus was approaching. “They met right here (Showing the spot on the road where it happened) and collided head-on,” he said, pointing to where the vehicle eventually came to rest after spinning off the road.
This account differs significantly from that of the Climax Coach driver, who claimed Jirongo had just exited a petrol station and swerved into his lane while attempting to avoid traffic heading toward Nairobi.
The bus driver said he feared losing control of the vehicle, which was carrying 67 passengers travelling from Nairobi to Busia.
Adding to the mystery are questions about Jirongo’s intended journey that night. Close associates say he left his Karen residence at around 11:30 pm, reportedly heading home to Gigiri, not Naivasha.
“He was supposed to travel from Karen to his home in Gigiri,” said his friend Fred Gumo. “Now he was found dead on the Naivasha–Nairobi road… the only people who can find out are the police.”
Cyrus Jirongo died on Saturday, December 13, after a head-on collision with a PSV bus along the Nairobi–Nakuru Highway at around 3:00 am.
Naivasha DCIO Isaac Kiama confirmed that the former MP died on the spot. As investigations continue, the unanswered questions surrounding his final movements continue to fuel public speculation and demand for clarity.
